"Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." – U.S. President George W. Bush during an address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001

A definition of traitorous: “Relating to or having the characteristic of a traitor; being treacherous, disloyal”.

A definition of terrorist: “An extremist or fanatic who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims”.

Riddle: What’s the difference between the Klu Klux Klan, The American Neo Nazis, The Posse Comitatus and The Taliban?

Answer: Nothing.

A most serious caveat

Americans it’s time to drink a strong cup of coffee, put on your “big boy – big girl pants”, look in the mirror and “wake the expletive up”.

At this precise moment in U.S. history there is an exponential threat to our nation’s homeland security that has absolutely nothing to do with Muslim terrorist attacks or the proliferation of socialism and communism in your community or mine. Incredibly this immense threat to the security of America has everything to do with home-grown domestic terrorism.

Rogue militias that are blatantly anti-federal government are too often portrayed by conservative politicians and pundits as being “patriots” and “American heroes”.

For the record, being diametrically opposed to certain socio-political philosophies and providing an honest stage for the general public to observe political adversaries engage in legitimate political discourse is the cornerstone of American democracy in action. It’s as American as apple pie, Chevrolet trucks and Crispus Attucks.

However, anyone or any entity that intentionally instigates and fans “flames of insurrection” against the United States Government and ultimately creates a mini-version of “Charlie’s” Helter Skeltershould be tried in a court of law for treasonous acts committed against the United States of America, and if found guilty, should be severely punished in accordance to every applicable federal law and statute.

In all honesty, wasn’t being severely punished under the “letter of the law” the expected modus operandi that was used against surviving members of the Black Panther Party who stood trial for plotting against the U.S. government? But wait a minute; weren’t the Black Panthers also opposed to the U.S. federal government? It’s funny, but I can’t seem to be able to recall Fox News and Friends ever producing an exposé entitled, “Surviving Black Panther Patriots…Where are they now?”

But because of the conservative media’s recent string of blunders in representing “The Penguin” as “Batman”, and “up” as really being “down”, more White Americans are now beginning to ask, “just who in the hell is the Posse Comitatus?”

For conjuring this miraculous epiphany all across the U.S., liberals of all racial and religious persuasions are enthusiastically giving Fox News and Friends the “Two Thumbs Up” salute and an autographed cassette of Michael Jackson’s and Paul McCartney’s pop classic, “Ebony and Ivory”.

And since we’re on the subject of “Fair and Balanced News”…wouldn’t it be nice if conservative politicians and pundits dropped the “The enemy of my enemy is really my friend routine”?

Oh, and by the way is it fair game to start holding congressional hearings, asking surviving members of Ronald Reagan’s 1983 presidential administration to explain why and how Reagan and then U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz “fell asleep at the wheel” allowing 241 American servicemen to be killed and over one hundred American civilians to be severely injured in a terrorist attack made against the U.S. during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing?

Boisterous in their politics but covert in their mission, these self-proclaimed Minute Men / Patriots / Posse Comitatus stealthily train in anticipation of a Charles Manson-like Helter Skelter confrontation with state and federal police / military forces with the same exuberant glee of an Anarchist who just won a lifetime supply of armor piercing bullets from the National Rifle Association.

And thanks to the voracious appetite of the 24 / 7 news cycle, most Americans and the “civilized world” are now empowered to watch “The New American-Confederate-Neo Nazi-Separatist-Revolution” televised LIVE in all its “glory”, right in front of us from the safety of our home’s big screen television via the magic of cable and satellite transmissions. But upon further review are we really safe?

Looking deeply into the bizarre world of “Alice’s Rabbit Hole” it’s abundantly clear to those of us who are not “asleep at the wheel” that each and every one of us could easily share the same fate of the 168 murdered and 680 injured Oklahomans who on April 19, 1995 became innocent victims of Timothy McVeigh’s and Terry Nichols blinding hatred for the U.S. federal government.

A day that will also live in infamy, it was on 4-19-95 that McVeigh and Nichols callously went about their murderous business of bombing the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.

So should it really be a surprise to anyone that at any given time of the day throughout the most remote backwoods, swamps, and deserts of the United States of America, there’s an acrid smell of gunpowder and expended ammunition casings in the air, while murmuring voices plan organized chaos and insurrection in a town / city near you?

Once more, this is not a drill, …in America there is an armed insurrection that’s growing in leap and bounds” and its leaders brazenly “wrap their self” in the U.S. flag while conferring to the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution as their protective cloak and shield.

The Posse Comitatus is a decentralized and loosely organized far-rightsocial movement composed of independently functioning militias that vehemently reject the United States federal government as having any legitimate legal authority over them, their family and all citizens of the United States.

Indeed, in the overly romanticized “Western world” of the Posse Comitatus, there is absolutely no law authority that’s greater than their elected county sheriff.

Originating from the Latin phrase possecomitatūs, ( power of the community ), the concept of empowering a local law enforcement authority (Sheriff) to “round up” and organize able bodied men to assist the sheriff in thwarting lawlessness and apprehending outlaws is borne from Old English common law.

A more succinct example of how the Latin phrase possecomitatūs worked in medieval England is explained in the legend of Robin Hood. Throughout the internationally known tale, the Sheriff of Nottingham used a posse of armed men as a tool to hunt down and apprehend the benevolent and wily outlaw.

Reality check 201

According to a 2012 study conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Center on the purported increase in American paramilitary organizations nationwide, on January 20, 2009, the day President Barack H. Obama was inaugurated as the United States first Black President there were an estimated 149 militia groups from coast-to-coast in the United States.

Fast forwarding Father Time’s political “game-clock” five years and four months later, there is now an astonishing 1,200 plus militia groups training in the United States, boisterously pretending to be American Patriots while simultaneously planning and training for their much welcomed and anticipated apocalyptic confrontation with the Federal government of the United States of America.

And just in case anyone was wondering, mathematically that’s a whopping 755% spike in militia membership since President Obama was initially elected and subsequently re-elected by the majority of American voters to serve as the country’s top administrator and as the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful military.

But alas, could it all this just be one great-big coincidence based upon some unforeseen astrophysical phenomenon that has aligned the planet Mars and Saturn with the Earth and the Sun or could it be without question a deliberate “call to arms” by “Patriots” who aren’t very comfortable with the complexion or politics of America’s 44th President?

That’s exactly what Fox News and Friends would have you think.

In closing, almost exactly five years ago President Obama appointee and former Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security Janet Napolitano warned Americans in a detailed report

that a substantial amount of evidence gathered from “boots on the ground intelligence” strongly suggested that domestic terrorist organizations [in the disguise of militia organizations] was skyrocketing in membership in the U.S. and that many of these home-grown terrorist organizations were being led by former U.S. military personnel.

For her efforts Secretary Napolitano was severely criticized and ridiculed by the conservative media, conservative politicians and pundits.

House Speaker John Boehner described the report as being offensive and demanded that the agency apologize to U.S. veterans.

Isn’t it funny how no one from the political right is offering Secretary Napolitano an apology? I guess it’s hard to apologize to anyone while you’re busy trying to stuff the Posse Comitatus Genie back in its bottle.

Oh, and can someone please tap Republican Congressman Darrell Issa on the shoulder and ask him to launch an investigation on why Republicans scoffed at the notion that American Terrorism would rise and that it would be cloaked in flag waiving militia groups? I’m just asking.

As always the New Orleans Examiner is interested in what you think. (1) Should Fox News and Friends be charged for fanning flames of insurrection against the U.S. government? And (2) Should Darrell Issa launch an investigation on his own political party for dismissing former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s report on the projected rise of domestic terrorist organizations in the U.S. as “hogwash”? Inquiring minds want to know.

Share this article

Gregory Boyce is a husband, small business owner and retired US Army veteran. He's traveled throughout the United States and lived abroad in Central America and Europe. Although originally from Brooklyn, Gregory has lived below the Mason Dixon line so long, he considers himself an adopted son of the South. He's passionate about writing and interacting with people from all walks of life.